


Cunning

by lady_of_silver_fountains



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Major Character Injury, Post-Battle of Five Armies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-07 22:24:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12241779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_of_silver_fountains/pseuds/lady_of_silver_fountains
Summary: Fili gets shot with an arrow, and everything goes to a down-spiral. Tensions build, emotions are shed and shredded, and what happened is not exactly clear.





	1. Chapter 1

"Where are Fili and Kili?"

"They went out."

"They've been gone for hours!"

"I can go look for them, if you wish."

"Would you?...and be careful."

"Yes, I will."

I quickly rushed into my room, the King's bedroom, grabbing my fur coat and my sword. Thorin didn't let me leave often, unless I was going to be with him. However, the boys couldn't have gone far, so he trusted me to go alone...of course, not without warning me to be careful. Despite the Battle of the Five Armies being a thing of the past, orcs were still known to come down South from the North, and linger around Rhovanion for blood. The funny part was, that many still believe that the Sons of Durin had fallen during the battle, luckily, most Dwarves knew this was not the case. I had married Thorin a few years past, but that was a different story; his nephews had no problem calling me their aunt, and trusted me just as much as they trusted their uncle. They always went out to train, explore, or goof off, and they never went far. Except that this time, they have been gone for more than usual, and Fili made sure that they always returned on time, before Thorin got concerned. I picked up my bag, in case I needed to use it, it contained some very basic medical tools that Oin was happy to give me. I was soon on my way out of the room, and out of the mountain.

The fall breeze and sunset sky welcomed me, as I scanned the barren land of young pine trees, looking for my nephews. Since the battle, the land finally had the chance to try and return to it's previous state some hundred years ago, before the dragon attacked it. Even with the trees being so young, it was still tricky to find two young Dwarves. I suddenly heard Kili's familiar cheeky laughter in the distance, and headed towards the source. Suddenly, the laughter stopped abruptly for much more than a moment, Kili then let out an alarming shout,

"FILI!"

My pace transformed into a run, fear raced through me, and I yelled, "Kili?! Fili?!" I pushed through some pine branches to see Fili lying on the ground with an arrow sticking out of his abdomen, and Kili kneeling down beside him, horror-struck. The younger brother looked up at me with fear on his face,

"Auntie! I-it was an orc!" he said, panic ringing in his tone.

"What happened?!"

"A-an orc came, a-and fired arrows at us! F-Fili got hit! I-I managed to scare the orc away!"

I kneeled down next to Fili, who grunted and winced in pain, and examined the arrow stuck in him, "This is deep. I don't think I can pull it out, especially without damaging something." I turned to Kili, there was only one thing I could do: get help. I threw off my bag, and instructed to Kili, "There's a cloth in there, try to stop the bleeding. I'm going to get help, please keep him awake!" Kili was still frozen, but he finally gave me a nod. Fili was still grunting when I left.

I bolted back to the mountain, it wasn't long before I went through the entrance, and shouted, "Thorin!"

Thorin appeared not long after I called his name, nearly running up to me, "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"It's Fili! He got shot by an orc's arrow! You need to come with Oin! The arrow is very deep in his abdomen! Kili is with him now!"

His eyes grew wide with fear, a fear I did not see often in him. Not only was Fili his preferred nephew, but he was heir to the throne because Thorin and I didn't have any children. Thorin turned, and ordered for Oin, before looking back at me, "Take me to him."

 

I led Thorin and Oin back to where I had left Fili and Kili, pushing through the branches once again, I only saw Fili. I gasped, "Kili?! He was here! I told him to stay here!" Thorin didn't take notice to the brother's absence, instead, he knelt down next to Fili, "You're going to be alright, just look at me," he said. Weakly, Fili looked up at his uncle, and gripped his arm, which Thorin didn't mind. Oin got to Fili's other side, "The poor lad is loosing blood!" I looked around myself, where could Kili have gone?! How could he just leave his brother alone?! If we had been any later, Fili would've surely bled to death! Night was approaching, Kili would surely be in more danger at night than at sunset, especially if more orcs were around. He had to be found, we couldn't have him injured as well! I looked down at Thorin, and declared, "I'm going to find Kili."

"Not at this hour you aren't," Thorin argued back at me, still trying to comfort Fili, while Oin started to stop the blood. I could tell he was trying to be as calm as possible for Fili, but on the inside, there was a fire of fear and anger raging. But for Fili's sake, he spoke to me in a calm tone, "Night is ahead. I will go myself, when Fili is stable." This was the art of Thorin's protectiveness; when it came to me, he instantly denied what I intended on doing, which usually led me to submitting and accepting his denial. This time, however, I argued back, "Kili will get himself lost, or even killed by then! I'm going to find him!" Thorin looked up at me. My reply had surprised him, and made him stray from his calm disguise. He retorted, with a firm tone, "No, Morgan! There could be more orcs out there! You are not going anywhere, but back to the mountain!" I frowned at him, and without an answer, I stormed off...away from the mountain. I wasn't exactly sure which direction Kili took, but some disturbance in the ground and branches gave me a sign that I could follow. My ears picked up the sound of my furious husband shouting my name, but I did not react to it. I was determined to find Kili, and find out why he had left his severely injured brother.

 

I knew my way around the land; at this point, I was past Esgaroth, and heading for Celduin (or River Running). The crescent moon was nearly at the center of the sky, warning me that midnight was on it's way. This was completely abnormal for Kili, as far as I knew, he would never travel South, especially at this hour! As I soon began to see territory that was unrecognizable to me, I looked back at the Lonely Mountain. It was now just a distant mountain, the flaming torches that proved its occupancy were now just faint lights at the base of the mountain. Turning ahead of me, there was nothing but darkness on the horizon. Suddenly, something caught my eye to my left. There was a grassy hill, a subtle aspect to this bare land, and at the peak of it there was a person sitting on it. I recognized the pulled-up blue hood, it was Kili. I ran up to the hill, my heart skipped a few beats, relieved to see him safe! I shouted, "Kili!" The young dwarf turned his head to me, the moonlight helped me realize his expression. His cheeks were tear-stained, he had been crying. My relief turned into pity, as I knelt down in front of him. Kili hugged me, hiding his face in my fur coat, "Auntie..." he muttered.

"Kili, why did you run?" I asked.

"I didn't want to hurt Fili more, so I ran...I didn't think you would come find me..."

"Of course I was going to come! I was worried! You are so far from home!"

"I didn't want anyone to find me...I didn't think you'd understand...but, I'm glad you came, is Fili alright?"

"He should be, I don't know exactly. When I left, Oin was stopping the bleeding."

Kili pulled away, and held his head in shame, "Was Uncle there?"

"Yes, he was trying to comfort Fili."

"Did he send you?"

"No, actually, the complete opposite."

Kili suddenly lifted his head up, looking over my shoulder. His face went pale with fear as he stood up. I then looked over my shoulder to see a ram making its way over to us. The rider was more than recognizable, it was Thorin. His face was manifested with anger, his eyes narrowed hard on us like a predator, and his frown was prominent. He halted the ram a few feet away from us, and dismounted it, before approaching us. He looked at Kili first, "Get on the ram," he ordered, very sternly. Without hesitation, Kili hurried over to the ram, and climbed onto the back of it. I stood up, as Thorin approached me, fuming with more fury,

"I want a word with you..."

The dagger of fear stabbed me, but I didn't flinch.

"...I am beyond furious that you disobeyed me, and turned your back on me; that you wandered off into lands that you do not know in the dead of night, oblivious to the orcs that were following you!"

I froze, the dagger just went deeper, and pierced something in me, "Orcs?"

"Yes! I just finished slaying them! They were following your trail!"

"I was just trying to find Kili. If what you say is true, he would've been killed if they had seen him...would you not have done the same?"

Thorin adjusted his position, blocking my view completely of Kili and the ram, "I would not have left with such contempt!"

I looked down, ashamed, "I'm sorry for my attitude...I was just worried about him."

Thorin finally softened, and lifted my head back up gently with his finger, "I was worried about you. It is bad enough one of my nephews is injured, I do not want my wife to get hurt as well. I am grateful that you found Kili, but do not put yourself at risk again, understand?" I nodded. He then smiled at me, and gave me a hard kiss on the forehead. I knew that one part of him was telling him what I did was just, but rest of him told him that how I did it was unjust...and I understood that. Thorin then approached Kili, who was sitting on Thorin's ram, and staring at the ground. Kili's face was full of demean and shame, he didn't look up at Thorin, but he shot a nervous glance at me. He was probably terrified of his uncle at the moment.

"Kili, tell me what happened," Thorin demanded.

The young dwarf did not acknowledge the question.

"Answer me!"

There was still no response.

"If it was indeed an orc that attacked you, I must know!"

Kili then turned away, his back facing Thorin completely. Thorin started to tense up in anger, but I gently my hand on his shoulder, calming him down, "Leave him be for tonight, I'm sure he's in no mood to talk about orcs right now. How is Fili?" Thorin glared at the ground, "He lost consciousness not long after you left, but Oin was able to stop the bleeding. He says that he could wake up anytime between now and four days from today."

"Is the arrow out?"

"Yes, I pulled it out. That was when the bleeding became out of control, and made him pass out."

Kili seemed to have been listening, because I soon heard him sobbing into his hands. Sympathy took over me, and I walked up to him, "Fili will be alright," I told him, patting him gently on his shoulder. This made him stop crying.

"What will my mother say?"

Suddenly, Thorin let out a groan, and mumbled, "Dís." Dís was Thorin's sister, and the mother of Fili and Kili. She was just as stubborn as her brother, but she was never on his side. Fights between them became verbally violent, and sometimes, they would even get physically violent. She was very protective of Kili, but never Fili, and that was what Thorin and her always fought about. He despised the fact that she couldn't pay mind to her firstborn son, especially since he was heir to the throne. Dís and I never talked to one another, and Thorin made absolutely sure of it. He mentioned several times to me that Dís had insulted our marriage, and with a smirk, would always conclude that she got what she deserved after each time. "Come on," Thorin urged me, "We must return before she destroys the mountain with her bare hands." He mounted the ram, leaving Kili at the back, and giving me room at the front. I climbed onto the ram, and Thorin commanded it to trot back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Upon entering the mountain, Dís ran up to us, face filled with worry,

"Is my baby alright?!"

Thorin dismounted, and grumbled, "No, he is passed out on his bed with an arrow wound through his stomach."

Dís shot a cold glare at Thorin, "I am fully aware that Fili is hurt."

Thorin quickly snapped, "Then why are you not with him?"

I slowly, and quietly dismounted the ram, while the two argued.

"If you cared at all about Fili, you would be with him! Morgan and I have already given Kili more than enough attention for tonight! He is shattered by what happened to his brother, why aren't you?"

"My boys are my business! Not your's!"

"You mean your boy...is your business. And _my nephews _are my business! Fili could die, and you don't give a rat's arse about it! All you care about is your reckless second-born! Might I remind you that he tried to have his way with an elf guard, thus disgracing our family!"__

__"Thorin, why can you not let that go?! He is young! He thought that was love! You were young once, too!"_ _

__"Do not compare me to him! I had some sense at his age!"_ _

__Suddenly, Kili tapped my shoulder, and I turned around to look up at him. "Auntie, I want to go to sleep," he said, glancing at his mother warily. He probably didn't want to deal with her smothering right now. I watched his expression, there was a heavy solemnness to him that I had never seen from him before. I wasn't surprised, his brother did just get badly injured after all. But I had to be sure that this whole situation wasn't damaging him in any way, "Of course, I can take you to your room...are you alright, Kili?" He looked down at his gloves, "I'm just tired..." he muttered, before sliding off the ram's back. I took his hand, and smiled with sympathy, "If you need anyone to talk to, anyone at all...please don't hesitate to talk to me." Kili smiled a tiny bit, and gave me a faint nod, "Thank you, Auntie."_ _

__

__

__"What's the matter, Thorin?"_ _

__I had been watching Thorin stomp back and forth in our large bedroom, his hands would tense up every few moments, and it took him ten minutes to get changed out his clothes! It was only until I spoke to him, did he stop in the center of the room, and look at me, "Kili is hiding something," he concluded. I gave him a puzzled look, "What could Kili be possibly hiding from us? He told me what happened."_ _

__"Yet he said nothing to me," Thorin argued._ _

__"He was scared! If he told you that an orc attacked them, and that he could not protect his brother, you would've surely scolded him! When he is ready, and when you are not looking so intimidating, he will talk to you."_ _

__Thorin glared at the floor, "If he is lying, I will know it," he grumbled._ _

__I frowned, "Are you suggesting that he lied to me?"_ _

__"Very likely, yes."_ _

__Not once had either nephew lied to me, even though I was warned many times that Kili would at some point. Lately, however, Kili had been very good for not lying to anyone. He was maturing, and I was determined to keep that true. "I know you are upset about Fili, but you cannot assume that Kili is lying without proof," I told Thorin. Thorin's eyes suddenly lit up with realization, "...proof," I heard under his breath. He quickly put on his night-shirt on, and bolted out of our room. I crossed my arms, irritated by the fact that Thorin was trying to prove his poor nephew guilty of lying. I laid down, and stared up at the dark stone ceiling._ _

__

__I must have dozed off, because I found myself waking up to Thorin's grumbling._ _

__"It's gone."_ _

__I blinked the drowsiness out of my eyes, and narrowed them up at him, "What do you mean?"_ _

__"The arrow that Fili was shot with, it's gone. I know exactly where I left it when I pulled it out, but it is not there anymore."_ _

__I sighed, "Another orc probably picked it up. You know how they like to reuse weapons."_ _

__Thorin's face was riddled with defeat, "You are right. I am upset about Fili, and I am letting my fear for him blind me...I should not think so ill of Kili," he admitted. I smiled, and sat up, as he sat down on his side of the bed next to me, "You saved both their lives. If it had not been for you, Fili could have been in a much worse condition, and Kili could have been in the same state...or worse," he said, before giving me a sweet kiss on my lips that made my eyes close. I gave him one in return that gave him a much greater effect. He leaned in for another kiss from him, when we were disturbed by screaming. Thorin, leaned away, and scrambled off the bed, "KILI?!" He soon left the room before I could blink. I hurried after him, now recognizing that the screams did come from Kili. After Thorin dashed into Kili's room, I nearly ran straight into Dís, who was also about to enter the room. I froze, and stopped myself, letting her in before me. She was as haunting to me as Thorin was intimidating to Kili, especially since the situation involved her "preferred" son. Kili sat straight up on his bed, he was wearing his night-shirt, so he had been sleeping. He was panting hard, and I could see the sweat on his night-shirt. His eyes were wide with fear, as he gripped his bed tightly. Thorin stopped by his bed, making Kili glance at him, "Are you alright, Kili?" Kili nodded right away, "I-I just had a nightmare...a-about Fili," his voice was shakier than his stutters. He looked at me briefly, "I'm scared, I don't want to sleep alone."_ _

__Dís put her hand on her son's, "You can sleep with me, Ki-"_ _

__Kili jerked his hand away, "No, mother. I want to sleep with Auntie." Dís shot a cold glare at me, which made me shift over behind Thorin, who was looking at Kili with the most puzzled look, "Why?"_ _

__Kili looked down, "I just feel safer with Auntie."_ _

__I could now feel Dís’ maternal anger piercing me. I felt like a child while hiding behind Thorin, but his protective rage made the whole room feel a bit warmer. He glanced over his shoulder at me, "It's alright, go back to our room, Kili will be right behind you," he said quietly. I nodded, and quickly went to the door. But Dís got to me first, and shoved me against the wall with all her force._ _

__"Her?! Why her, and not me?!"_ _

__Before I even thought about fighting back, Thorin was behind her. He dragged her away from me, pushing her to the other side of the room, and growled, "How dare you harm her! If Kili wants to sleep with her, so be it!"_ _

__"I'm his mother! How can he trust her more than me?!"_ _

__"Because unlike you, Morgan does not pick sides," Thorin growled, and looked at his nephew, "Go to my room, now," he ordered._ _

__I swallowed my fear, and urged Kili, "Come, Kili."_ _

__Kili quickly got out of his bed, and I led him out of his bedroom. Thorin slammed the door behind us, and his argument with Dís became more hostile._ _

__"DON'T EVER HURT HER AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME?! AND LEAVE YOUR TRAUMATIZED SON ALONE! I AM SURE YOU ARE THE ONE THAT IS PUTTING NIGHTMARES INTO HIM!"_ _


	3. Chapter 3

I took Thorin's side of the bed, because I assumed I would not be sleeping with him tonight. His side was still warm and had his familiar scent, which made me forget that he was not there...except that his arm was not around me as I laid, as it usually was. Meanwhile, Kili had fallen asleep right away on my side of the bed, even though I still had the candle by the bed, lighting the room for Thorin when he returned. Minutes later, Thorin entered the room, throwing a blanket onto the floor. He came up to me, and knelt down next to the bed.

"Are you alright, Amrâlimê?" I kissed his forehead, showing my gratitude for him defending me, "I am," I told him with a smile, "Thank you." He kissed me on the forehead, "I'm sorry about her...goodnight," he whispered. I saw in his eyes that he was feeling left-out, but I knew that he was more than willing to let Kili have me for the night, if it made Kili feel more comfortable at all.

"Goodnight, my King."

 

Early the next morning, when Thorin and Kili were still fast asleep, I asked Oin if I could see Fili, but he said that nobody was allowed to see him until his wound was healed enough. This was probably another reason why Thorin had been peculiarly more grumpy than usual last night. When I returned to the bedroom, Kili was gone. I must've woken him up, in which I felt a bit guilty. But this meant that Thorin could now sleep on the bed. So, I got down next to him, and stroked his back so I could wake him up gently, "Thorin, my love, please wake up."

Thorin lifted his head, and looked up at me very drowsily, "What hour is it?"

"Four hours before first-light."

"Why are you awake at this hour? Is something wrong?"

"No, no. I just wanted to be the first to check on Fili, but Oin would not let me see him. Kili is awake, I might've woke him...but you may come back to sleep with me now in our bed."

Thorin shed a smile, and stood up, "I am most tempted," he said, before approaching his side of the bed, and climbing into bed. I joined him on my side of the bed, and Thorin kissed my head.

A few hours of more sleep later, we were both awoken by our bedroom door opening and closing. Thorin got up first, and I slowly did the same.

"Kili?!"

Thorin's exclamation fully woke me, and I narrowed my eyes at Kili holding an orc's head. It was fresh, because the blood was still dripping from it.

"Kili, for Durin's sake! Get that out of here!" Thorin growled. 

"But I got him, Uncle!" Kili said.

"What do you mean?"

Kili held the orc head higher, "This was the orc that shot Fili. I tracked him down this morning, him and his band members were very close to Erebor, Uncle!"

"Well done, Kili," I said with a smile.

"What of the other orcs that were near the mountain? Did you slay them as well?" Thorin asked. Kili glanced down, "No...they fled north," he muttered. "Of course they did...but they will be back," Thorin grumbled, getting out of bed, "I want you to tell me exactly what happened yesterday," he demanded. Kili sat on our bed, Thorin moved to stand in front of him, with his arms crossed.

"Well...Fili and I were training in the forest. It was getting close to sunset, and Fili told me countless times that we had to go back...I didn't listen, and I kept firing my arrows. I suddenly heard a noise, so I stopped. This orc and his band suddenly came at us, Fili told me to run, but I didn't want to. I started firing at the orcs, while the one fired arrows back. He even picked up my own and used them against me! I suddenly heard Fili scream, and the orcs ran off. That's when Auntie came," Kili explained, with a strange confidence. I frowned a little, this wasn't exactly what he had told me. He said before that there was only one orc that attacked him and Fili. Then again, I had to consider the fact that Kili was still in panic at the time. I looked over at Thorin, who wasn't phased at all. He was probably angry that Kili still had the orc head in our bedroom. There was one other thing that didn't make sense to me, "I heard you laughing just before I came," I told Kili.

"Oh, yes, because I actually wounded one and I guess I was being...uh...cocky," Kili said with a grin. Thorin glanced down, "That'll do, Kili." His nephew gave him a nod, before leaving with his orc head. I looked back at Thorin, he didn't seem satisfied by what he heard. He was never one for ignoring those who harmed his kin, Azog was a prime example of this; Thorin was vengeful by nature. Because of this, I believed that Thorin feared a new leader of orcs was targeting the Line of Durin, which was very unlikely. I climbed out of bed, and approached Thorin, "You aren't going to let this go, aren't you?"

"I _cannot _let this go...not while they are still out there, lurking around the mountain, possibly targeting Kili now," he replied.__

__I took his hands, making him look up at me, "I will help you avenge Fili...if that is what you seek," I whispered. Thorin moved his hands away, and turned away, "I will not let you do that." I crossed my arms, and smirked, "I will not let you fight a band of orcs on your own," I argued, "You know how much I enjoy the thrill of a vengeful kill." I was quite skilled with a sword, and Thorin and I worked very well together. He turned to me, and smirked back, "Fair enough."_ _

__

__Two days had past, and Fili still hadn't woken up. But Oin invited all of us to visit now, since his wound was healing up well. To make sure not to overwhelm the room, Oin asked that we visit the bed one at a time. Thorin asked to go first, and nobody objected._ _

__"Do you think he will hear me?" he asked Oin._ _

__"I don't know, laddie," Oin replied._ _

__I was outside the open door, because I was going next. I watched Thorin as he approached Fili's bed. Fili, of course, didn't respond. There was a chair near the bed provided for visitors, but Thorin pushed it away. He got down on his knees, now he was at eye-level with Fili. I then heard Thorin speak, but I couldn't determine what he was saying. I knew he didn't like seeing Fili in this state, and I assumed he was telling Fili good things. As a father-figure, Thorin made it his duty to help raise and guide his nephews into becoming strong and noble adults, much like himself. Kili, however, always needed tweaking, because his mother would not let Thorin spend as much time with him as a child, like with Fili. Therefore, Thorin had a closer bond with Fili than with Kili, and Kili always tried to impress him to make up for it._ _

__When Thorin finished, he left the room. He walked by me, looking very distressed. I grabbed his arm, stopping him, "Thorin, listen to me," I whispered._ _

__He glanced at me._ _

__"Fili will be fine, I promise."_ _

__Thorin only became more aggressive, "That is not a promise for you to keep," he snapped, before jerking away from me, and stomping off, "I will believe it when I see it." I didn't let him discourage me, or upset me. This was tough for him, I knew that already. I entered the bedroom, nobody was behind me now, and it felt a bit eerie approaching an unconscious person alone. I pulled the chair back to where it was before Thorin pushed it aside, and sat down in it. I stared at Fili, and thought about the last time I had seen him. He had looked like he was in grave pain, but he was grunting and wincing about it. He had held on long enough for me to bring help, even when Kili had left him. "You're very strong, Fili," I said, without thinking, I must've been concluding my own thoughts. I looked down, I felt like I hadn't done enough for him. I could've stayed with him and Kili, tried to stop his bleeding...but then who would've gotten help? I looked back up at Fili, I had only said a sentence, yet I had paragraphs in my mind, "I don't know what Thorin told you, but whatever it was, it's true. We're all worried for you," I told him. Suddenly, the end of the bed started to move. I saw Fili's eyelids move, but they were still shut. I got up from the chair so fast that I knocked it over. I scrambled to the open door, and shouted, "He's waking! Fili's waking up!" I ran back to Fili's side, and grabbed his hand, "Fili? Can you hear me? Fili?" Fili suddenly gripped my hand very hard, and his eyes flared open. He woke up in a panic at the sight of the bandage around his torso, and pulled me closer towards him. I wrapped my arms around him gently, "It's alright! You're safe!" I told him this repeatedly until he finally calmed down. He was panting hard, and looked more ill awake than unconscious. I let go of him, before he looked up at me._ _

__"What happened?" He asked in a sick tone that was certainly not his own._ _


	4. Chapter 4

"You were shot by an orc's arrow, you lost a lot of blood, and you've been unconscious for three days," I replied.

Fili blinked with more awake-looking eyes, "You were all worried about me?"

I smiled, "Of course we were!" 

Fili smiled at me, and glanced around, "Where's—“

"Right here."

I turned around to see Thorin enter, and take Fili's other side. Fili looked very happy to see him, and even gave him a risky hug that surely should've made him grunt from the pain of his wound. Thorin seemed very relieved, and did not hesitate to hug his nephew back. I watched them, and I hadn't been so happy in a long time as I was when I witnessed this moment. They were so close, that for a moment, I visioned that Fili was a son to Thorin. After the prolonged hug, Oin entered the room with water. Fili hadn't drank or eaten in three days, and it certainly had a toll on him. But, Fili refused the water, which shocked all of us.

"Fili, you must drink," Thorin urged.

Fili looked up at him, "But I'm not thirsty!"

Oin chuckled, "You certainly are, laddie! You just don't know it yet!"

Thorin put a hand on Fili's head, before looking at Oin, "He is fevered," he said, moving his hand away. Fili looked down, "I'm fine, uncle," he muttered.

"You are not fine, Fili," Thorin snapped, "You have a blazing fever!"

"I'll get somethin' to tame it," Oin said, hurrying out of the room. I picked up the chair, and stood it upwards again. Oin had left the water on the nightstand near Fili, I had to persuade Fili to drink. It would cure both his fever and his dehydration. "If you don't drink, you won't get better, and you won't leave this bed. I know you're trying not to be a burden, but it is only making things worse for everybody if you refuse to acknowledge that you're not well," I told him, "We all want you back on your feet." Fili looked down, and then glanced at the nightstand, "I'll have that water now." I smiled, and took the jug of water from the nightstand, before handing it to him. He chugged it down, with a cheeky grin on his face that I only saw his younger brother wear. Fili set the jug down as if it was a mug for ale.

"Do you need more?" I asked with a giggle. Fili shook his head, "No, thank you," he said in a voice that sounded more like himself. Already his colour seemed to be returning, and he had a smile on his face that was much more recognizable as his own. I almost enjoyed watching him, and my hopes became high that he would successfully recover in due time. I stood up, and bowed my head, "I will leave you to rest," I told him, before leaving. I didn't bother asking if Thorin was staying or not, I assumed he wanted to stay longer. But instead, I heard his boots follow me out of the room. I turned to him, and he stopped. He grew a smirk, and crossed his arms.

"Well, aren't you quite the miracle worker?"

"I never touched him! He woke up on his own!" I told him, giggling, "If you had stayed, he would've woken up with you there."

"I should have stayed," Thorin mumbled, "But you were there with him. Did he ask about Kili?" 

Now that I thought about it, Fili didn't say a thing about his brother, "No," I replied, "But why? They are inseparable!" Just then, Kili walked out of Fili's room. Thorin and I looked at him in shock, perhaps he had slipped past us earlier. I wondered why he hadn’t shown up the moment Fili woke up, and would have thought that Kili wanted to be the first to see his ill brother. Thorin asked first, "When did you get inside?"

"While you two were talking. I brought Fili soup," Kili replied. 

My wondering was now resolved. I smiled, "That's very kind of you."

Kili smiled back and glanced down shyly, "Auntie, may I speak to you privately?" I blinked, and looked at Thorin, then back at Kili, "Maybe later, Kili? Your uncle and I don't get very much time—“

"It's fine," Thorin interrupted, before walking away. These last two days I had spent were with Kili. He was afraid that Fili would be upset at him for leaving him, and I told him otherwise. Kili needed someone to lean on to, Dís made him feel like a child, Thorin couldn't get into Kili's brain, and I was his only other option. He trusted me over his uncle and mother, and I trusted him in return. He told me that Fili was calling for him as he walked away from him the day he was shot, and that was what his nightmares were about. It was good to see that Fili was in fact not angry with him, and that Kili was smiling finally. But, I guess he still needed support, for whatever reason. I always felt bad about Thorin being excluded, and to be honest, I would much rather spend my days with him. Kili would talk to me all day until past midnight, and I would return to the bedroom with Thorin already fast asleep...which was abnormal for me. I couldn't decline Kili, however. He took me to his bedroom, and followed his routine of plopping himself on his bed as if he was in for a therapy session...which was what this pretty much was.

"Fili isn't angry with me," Kili confirmed.

"That's good," I said, leaning up against the wall in his room that faced his bed. Kili chuckled, and shook his head, "He doesn't remember a thing! I want to apologize to him, but I'm afraid that if I do, he will remember everything that happened and will not forgive me!" I crossed my arms, "Why would you think that? Your brother loves you! It was a mistake, you were supposed to protect him but you two were outnumbered. It's not like you planned to have an orc shoot him! We all make mistakes in battle, Fili knows that very well," I told him.

"Not everybody makes mistakes in battle," Kili grumbled.

"Oh really? Such as?"

"Thorin."

Kili only ever used his uncle's name when he was agitated or upset. As soon as he said his name, I saw a deeply agitated Kili. "Your uncle has indeed made mistakes in battle. You know this," I argued. Kili sat up, looking more angry. I stepped forward, "He grieves over Frerin's death every day, he believes it was his fault. All he's trying to do is to prevent you from carrying the same burdens he does. Thorin is not against you," I explained, "You must ask for Fili's forgiveness, for closure." It seemed odd that Kili would suddenly try to see Thorin as the bad guy, so I asked, "Kili, are you sure that there isn't anything you haven't told me yet?" Kili calmed down, and nodded slowly, "Yes." He then said that he would talk to Fili tomorrow, and our session finished quite early.

Before I resided for the night, I decided to pass by Oin’s quarters where Fili was resting. To my shock, Fili was not sleeping. He was glancing down at his palms almost like he was ashamed with himself, not to mention, he looked very lonely. I peered inside, hoping the latter was not true...but it was. Fili caught me, and looked at me directly, “Auntie?” I smiled shyly, “I’m sorry, Fili, I did not mean to--”

“Please, come in.”

His voice was welcoming, it always was, he had most likely inherited that from Thorin. I stepped into the room, it was quiet, and the overwhelming tension of fear and concern was gone.

“You look so lonely, did Thorin not want to see you?”

“No, of course not, he came by earlier,” he replied, his voice diminishing into a sad mutter.

His voice affected me, I wanted to know what troubled him. I sat down next to him on his bed, “You are upset?” Fili’s eyes nodded, “I wanted Kili to be with me, but I heard he was with you all day.”

“He was, he feels bad about what happened.”

Oddly surprised, Fili spoke, “You know what happened?...is Uncle alright with it?”

“I cannot speak for him, but I’m sure he will forgive Kili in time. These things happen, there is no shame. But what’s important is that you heal. Kili said that he would come and apologize himself.”

Fili sighed, and nodded, “Thank you, Auntie.”

I put a hand on his comfortingly, “Goodnight, Fili.”

“Goodnight.”


	5. Chapter 5

During the night, Thorin and I woke up to shouting. We were alarmed to find out it was coming from Fili. Thorin quickly climbed out of bed, and threw a shirt on.

"Stay where you are," he ordered me.

I sat up, if Fili was in danger, I wanted to help, "Thorin—“

He growled at me, "I said _stay where you are _," he snapped, before charging out of the bedroom. I couldn't get out of it this time; I had to obey.__

__

__I stayed awake, waiting for news. All I heard was shouting coming from Fili, Thorin, and Oin. It felt like it had been hours before Thorin finally returned. He looked more than tired, and he seemed deeply disturbed. Without a word, he laid down on his side of the bed. "Thorin, what's wrong?" I asked. He looked up at me, "Fili's temperature has risen. He was hallucinating; he is showing signs of a more severe and deadly fever." I gasped in shock, how could this have happened? Fili was eating and drinking just a few hours ago! "What happened?!"_ _

__"He thought the room was filled with orcs, and he believed Oin and I were orcs as well. I had to hold him down until Oin could give him something to sedate him," Thorin replied, "Oin said that no one is to go into Fili's room but him, and that he will keep his room locked to ensure everyone's safety...I think this is best."_ _

__I still tried to imagine what Thorin was saying. Fili was nothing like this earlier, and we were all confident that he would get better. Thorin had so much worry before, now it was crashing down on him. He looked at me with a sudden sadness, and I shifted closer to him, "Thorin..." His eyes watered, before he embraced me so he could cry. He didn't want me to see him cry, but I could feel a couple tears fall onto my shoulders, "I have failed him," he said quietly. I teared up, and held onto him, "This isn't your fault, Thorin...none of it is. You're helping Fili, he gets support from you," I argued, "Fili is strong, you made him that way...and like you, he will prevail his own sickness!" Thorin released me, but kept his hands on my shoulders. He shed a smile, and stroked my bangs until they revealed my face, "You know how to sway me," he whispered. He took my hands, and kissed them, "I take your words above my own." I smiled, and kissed his beard. Thorin returned with a kiss on my forehead, "I'm sorry I cried on you...I could not control myself."_ _

__I giggled, and hugged him, "It's alright."_ _

__"I just don't understand how he could have gotten worse."_ _

__"Me neither."_ _

__I was then able to convince Thorin to fall back asleep._ _

__The next morning, I left the bedroom earlier to get some news from Oin. I did not want to awaken Thorin, he needed as much rest as he could get. Outside Fili's room, Oin told me that Fili had woken up, but his temperature was higher than before, his spirits were low, and he refused to speak or eat. Oin also said that Fili didn't remember the hallucinations, which was a good sign. I suggested that perhaps Fili needed to see Thorin again, but Oin denied the suggestion. He said that if Fili's fever was that high, his illness must most likely be contagious._ _

__"That won't stop Thorin," I argued, "Please, Oin, he's worried. He wants to help Fili."_ _

__"The last thing this kingdom needs is a sick King, and we've already had that...twice, if I may remind ye! If Thorin wants to help, he can kill the orc who shot Fili!"_ _

__I furrowed my brows, "Kili found him, and killed him."_ _

__"Aye, well, you can never be sure! I hear that orcs are still roaming around the land!" I turned away, looked down, and thought, "But why would they still come? Who are they hunting, and why?" My eyes suddenly met Thorin's, and I flinched._ _

__“This is more complex than I thought…”_ _

__I swallowed, the more I thought about it, the more I began to wonder whether Thorin’s plan would be a safe decision at this moment. The last thing anyone needed was for Thorin to expose himself to the orcs after years of securing his death, and for another war to break where the Dwarves were not sided by Elves, Men, and Eagles. I stepped closer to Thorin, who brooded over my shoulder, “This is no longer wise, Thorin. If anything, you should be sending soldiers to fight. I will even lead them, but I will not let your judgement be blocked by your emotions and I will not let you--”_ _

__“This is about Fili, not me.”_ _

__“And Fili needs _you _.”___ _

____Thorin firmly took me to a lone corner and argued, “I am not afraid to die for Fili, the orcs are the ones who started this and I will make sure that they pay for what they have done to him...with or without you.”_ _ _ _

____Hearing him say those words hurt me in the deepest way possible, I bit my tongue and looked down at the ground submissively. Impatient, Thorin moved around me, but I stopped him and sighed, “I am with you, always...and...I’m prepared to fight for your nephews without question.”_ _ _ _

____“ _Our_ nephews,” he corrected, growing a loving smile under his beard.___ _

______I blushed at my mistake, and stared at my husband for more than a moment, when I suddenly heard a voice._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Uncle? Is that you?"_ _ _ _ _ _


	6. Chapter 6

I froze. Thorin's expression dropped, and he rushed past me just as I turned around. Fili was leaning up against the side of the hallway, his arm clutching his bandaged stomach. Thorin and I approached him, Thorin was astatic. Fili was trying to get to him, but Thorin stopped him abruptly, "Fili, what in Durin's name are you doing?!" He scolded. Fili looked at his uncle with the innocence you'd see in a child, "I heard your voice, and I wanted to see you. I'm scared, Uncle," he said faintly. He was dripping with sweat, and his skin was pale; he truly looked sickly. Thorin calmed down quickly, and looked in his nephew's tear-filled eyes, "I know, Fili, but you must return to bed."

"No, I want to stay with you."

"I cannot allow that, Fili."

"Uncle, please—“

Fili suddenly collapsed, groaning in pain. Thorin and I simultaneously dove next to him. Fili was still holding his stomach with hand. I tugged on his arm, "Fili, let us see!"

Fili growled, and resisted, "No!"

Thorin quickly grew agitated, "Let her see, Fili!"

I finally managed to pull away Fili's arm, and it revealed that his bandage was bleeding heavily. I stared at it in shock, as Thorin sprang to his feet to call for Oin. At this moment, Fili became weaker. I had just started to apply pressure on his wound, when Thorin returned with Oin. Thorin pulled me away from Fili, for I was still in shock over the amount of blood now seeping from Fili's bandage, and the amount now on my hands.

"Go out, and clean your hands. I will meet you presently," Thorin told me quietly. Slowly, I left with my bloodied hands suspended in the air.

 

 

I washed my hands in the lake near Dale, although I did so while still wearing my nightdress. The morning wind was harsh, but I was used to it. I was disturbed by Fili, how sick he looked, and how he begged to be with Thorin. I had never seen a person so ill, and I began to worry for Fili's life. How did he come from being on the mend, to becoming severely ill? It did not make sense to me, nor to anyone else, something must have happened between that time.

I sat on a rock, waiting for Thorin. He was taking quite awhile and I began to fear that he would not come at all, but I understood why. The sun rose, and nearly parted the sky, when Thorin finally came. He had my coat with him, and a troubled look on his face. I left the rock, and approached him, "Thorin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled, before putting my coat on for me, "I'm sorry I couldn't have come sooner."

I looked past Thorin's emotion barrier, it was easy for me to do and I was the only one who could do it. I wanted to know what happened with Fili, but I had to be aware of Thorin as well. My eyes met his, "Please don't lie to me," I implored. He looked back at me fully, "...I'm sorry," he said. I knew what I said, and I chose my words purposely. Being honest was important to Thorin, especially when it came to me. I took my husband's hands, "I fear for you."

"Why?" Thorin retorted, "I am not the one on the brink of death!"

"So much has happened, and it has agitated you. I sense it, and your nephews sense it too." He took his hands away, and frowned, "What are you implying?" I shrank a bit, "Nothing. I just don't like to see you so troubled."

"You should be fearing for Fili, not me. I am not your concern," Thorin argued, before leaving. My heart sank, and I fought with myself on whether I should follow or not. I decided to stay, however, and return to my sitting rock. I stayed there, reflecting, until the sun was past it's parting point.

 

At this point, I was just watching the lake in peace...or perhaps not. Fili's condition still troubled me, but I was not going to let it disrupt me, not like Thorin. I believed that there was an explanation, I just could not reach it. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around sharply, and flinched in surprise to see Kili, "Kili?"

"Hello, Auntie. Did Uncle and you fight?"

"We had a misunderstanding," I corrected him, "He is just worried for Fili, I understand that." Kili threw a smooth stone across the lake, "Oin is working on a cure, he's very close. Fili will be fine in no time!"

I sighed, "Did you tell Thorin of this?"

"...yes."

"What did he say?"

Kili frowned, and looked down, "He did not believe me. He said that I am not making the situation any better...then he started to question me, asking me what I did to Fili while he was recovering."

"How can he think you had anything to do with Fili's illness?!"

"Exactly!"

I sighed, "This is hard for him, he has every right to be concerned," I reminded both him and myself. Kili suddenly became agitated, "He has no right to accuse me! I told both of you what happened! Why would I want to hurt my own brother?!" He picked up a more jagged stone, and threw it as hard as he could into the lake. I stayed silent, before he turned to me, "And he has no right to be angry towards you, Auntie! All you've done is try to help everyone!" He stormed past me, heading back towards the mountain. I stood up, and followed him, "Kili, what are you doing?" He was moving much faster than me, and he ignored my question. I inferred that he was going to confront Thorin, which was exactly what he was going to do. Just as Kili approached the closed doors to the throne room, I finally caught up to him, and grabbed his arm, "Stop, Kili! Leave Thorin be!"

"He needs to know that _he _is the problem, not us!"__

__The young Dwarf jerked his arm away from me, and pushed both doors open. Thorin was on the throne, dressed in his attire. His guards stood at his sides, somewhat shaken by Kili's entrance. Thorin was not phased at all, as Kili started, "How can you accuse me of harming my own brother?! How can you argue with Auntie for no reason?!"_ _

__Thorin rose in retaliation, "That is not your concern!"_ _

__Kili clenched his fists, "Can't you see? _You _are making everything worse! You have no hope, and you take your anger out on us!"___ _

____"...us?"_ _ _ _

____"Auntie and I!"_ _ _ _

____"I have done no such thing!"_ _ _ _

____Kili took a daring step forward, "Auntie was trying to tell you this! I heard your argument! This won't help Fili! Perhaps you are making him worse!" Thorin bared his teeth in fury, and growled through them, "How _dare _you..." he approached Kili, and I couldn't possibly imagine what Thorin could do. I ran, and placed myself between the two, "You mustn't fight! Neither of you are helping!"___ _ _ _

______"Step aside, Morgan," Thorin ordered._ _ _ _ _ _

______I turned to him sharply, "You will not harm him, Thorin! I do not wish to argue with you!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Nor do I."_ _ _ _ _ _

______I stood my ground, and my eyes began to burn with tears, "How can you both act this way when Fili could be dying?! He would not want you two to fight! Neither of you will want to admit it, but you need each other. How can we have hope for Fili if both of you are acting so negatively?" Thorin softened, and I glanced over my shoulder. Kili had his face buried in his arm to hide his crying. I looked back at Thorin, who now had the same tears that I did. He looked down shamefully, and then back at me, "...you are right," he said quietly, "We are making this worse." Kili still did not say a word, or look at anyone. He appeared completely damaged and hurt by what transpired. Thorin was now watching him, and I could see it in his eyes that he was beginning to feel genuine sympathy for him. Finally, he went around me, and approached Kili._ _ _ _ _ _

______"I'm sorry, Kili. I should have never accused you, forgive me."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Now would have been the perfect opportunity for Thorin and Kili to bond, something that Kili always striven for. He yearned to be groomed just like his older brother, he wished that Thorin would be impressed by him for something one day, and he ached for Thorin's attention. But what happened next was shocking. Kili stepped back from Thorin, and put his arm down. His face was wet with tears, and riddled with anger, "No! I'll never forgive you! And I will tell my mother what you did!" He snapped, before storming out. I was somewhat not surprised by what I heard, Kili was in fact starting to sound much like his uncle. Thorin took a step to follow him, but I quickly cut him off. He had hardened again, and was now more angry than before._ _ _ _ _ _

______"If he is going to behave this way, he might as well not see his brother at all!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"He does not understand, he is too hurt, Thorin."_ _ _ _ _ _

______He glanced down, and calmed once again. I stepped closer, and my tears fell. It was heartbreaking to watch Kili reject Thorin's apology; It was all now just another burden for him, and it seemed like the more burdened Thorin was, the angrier and more distant he became, "Thorin, please listen to me. Your frustrations will not save Fili. Kili is right, you are taking your anger out on us. But...I can tolerate it, Kili cannot. You must calm down, before you do something you will regret...I don't like seeing you this way, it breaks my heart," I begged. I wiped my tears, and Thorin watched me sadly. He embraced me, and kissed my forehead, "I do not want to harm anyone, especially you...I am scared; I fear for Fili's life. You are the only one who cares for my sanity, and I was too blind. Will you forgive me?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______I smiled, "Of course, my King."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Thorin smiled at me, which was contagious enough to make me smile back. He dismissed his guards, who were baffled by everything that happened...and it was better that way._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Where did we leave off?" He asked smoothly._ _ _ _ _ _

______I played with a stray strand of his hair, "I do not remember. We may need to start over," I whispered. He kissed me first, very long and passionately. He held me very tenderly, and his long fur cloak encircled me as well. If I could make Thorin forget about his fear for Fili, then I was more than content. The doors suddenly opened, forcing Thorin to stop kissing me, and looked over me to see who it was. He gave a low sigh in irritancy, and I sighed as well. I wrapped my arms around him, and looked over my shoulder to see Oin enter._ _ _ _ _ _

______"I need help with Fili. I must check his wound, but he will not let me near him without you by his side."_ _ _ _ _ _


	7. Chapter 7

Thorin agreed to visit Fili, but only if I could be with him. Oin at first immediately declined, but Thorin was quite insistent and would not take no as an answer. I stayed behind him as we were led into Fili's room. I was scared about what I would see. Last time I saw Fili, he looked terribly ill; it was unlike anything I had seen before, and I couldn't possibly imagine how he could look any worse. But as I saw him lay in his bed, I was once again astonished by his appearance. His skin was almost grey, and his expression was heavy with weakness. He didn't perk up at the sight of his uncle, but he smiled as much as he could. Oin proceeded to open Fili's bandage while he was distracted by Thorin, who knelt down beside him.

"Uncle," Fili spoke, in almost a whisper.

Thorin put his hand comfortingly on his nephew's shoulder, "Save your strength. Just keep looking at me," he encouraged. Fili stared at him, then sadness manifested on his expression, "I'm scared...what is wrong with me?" I glanced at Oin, who was using a magnifying glass to inspect Fili's wound. I was expecting him to answer that question, but he didn't and neither did Thorin. Thorin placed another hand on Fili's forehead, "All we know is that you are severely fevered. You are fighting, and that is what is important," he said with a smile. Oin finally put his glass away, and reported, "His wound is healing well now. But it needs more time." Fili's confidence seemed to heighten even more from this news. I knelt down next to Thorin, but I could not find myself to smile. I felt much sympathy for Fili; I imagined his feelings and pains. I wanted to be happy about the news, but I was sad instead. I held Fili's hand, but didn't know what to say; I didn't want to make him upset, nor could I ignore my expression and say that I was happy. Fili looked up at me, I could feel his eyes piercing me and scanning me...he could tell I was upset. His hand tightened on mine, which surprised me, "Don't be sad," he said in his weak voice. My voice quivered, "I just want you to get better. I want everything to be as it was before...you don't deserve this."

Thorin rose, "Morgan and I have planned on making an attack on the orcs in the North, this will not happen to anyone else."

Fili seemed like he wanted to argue, but was too weak to do so.

 

Promptly, Thorin and I left the mountain. This was a personal endeavour and therefore we were not comfortable with bringing more men to help bring down the orcs. We took one ram for efficiency, Thorin’s determination brought us north very quickly. His scouts had spoken many times of a common orc gathering that took place, but they hadn’t caused a problem up until now, yet Thorin believed that these were the orcs that had targeted his nephews. I was adamant in helping Thorin, and he still did not try to decline my help. We fought very well together and he knew that; I was the speed, and Thorin was the brawn. Orcs were more keen on trying to attack Thorin, but I always killed them before they even got near him. Every band of orcs had a commander, and Thorin faced him first so that the band would become leaderless. He had just finished slaying the leader, while I fended off two orcs. I suddenly heard him shout my name, and I turned to see him charging at an orc with a bow and arrow...pointed at me. I had no time to react before I felt the arrow pierce into my side. In shock, I stared at the arrow sticking out of me, and looked back at my attacker...who was now killed by my furious husband. I felt hot blood running, and collapsed to the ground among the dead orcs. Now I started to feel the pain, and I tried not to scream. Thorin quickly came to my side,

"No..."

I looked up at him, and started to cry, "Thorin..."

"It's alright, you're going to be fine, just hold on," Thorin said, holding my hand, "I need to pull it out, and it is going to hurt," he warned me. I nodded. Thorin put his other hand on the arrow, and pulled at it. I squeezed his other hand, and screamed in pain. Thorin kept pulling, but the arrow wouldn't move. He started to look gravely concerned.

"What is it?"

"It went through your ribcage, and spun. The arrowhead cannot fit back through, I have to turn it...but I can't do that without the potential of hurting something else."

"Please do it, please get it out."

"Hold onto my arm," he said. I wrapped my arms around his arm, and pressed my face against him. He twisted the arrow, which was more painful than him pulling on it. I screamed, and squeezed his arm tightly. More tears came out, and more blood ran. Thorin kissed my forehead, "I know, Amrâlimê. I have it turned, I'm going to pull it out now," he said, before quickly pulling out the arrow. Thorin's hand was covered in my blood; I was loosing a lot of blood, and realizing this made me feel weak. Thorin stood up, and took off his belt. He knelt back down, and wrapped it around my waist, covering my wound and tightening it so that the pressure was on my wound. Thorin picked me up, "Stay awake, Morgan. I'm going to take you home." I never felt so much pain in my life, and I was so weak that I was fighting with myself. I pressed my head against Thorin, with slightly eased my pain, and whimpered, "Thorin..."

"I know you're scared, just try to hold on for me, alright?"

I tried to look back, to see if any orcs were still alive, "Are all the orcs dead?" I wasn't quite sure why I had asked that, perhaps it was because I was remembering how desperately Thorin wanted revenge, and I needed to know if we had succeeded or not. "Yes, they're all dead," Thorin muttered, as he mounted his ram with me still in his arms, and whipped the reins as hard as he could, to give the ram a sense of urgency. I couldn't help but think about Fili when he was in this situation, and whether I would be just like him—His wound was more severe, however, so I could not completely compare myself to him. I suddenly felt very heavy, and I tried to grip onto Thorin but my fingers felt like weights of iron. Thorin looked down at me, fear ridden, "We're almost home, don't give up on me," he told me. "I'm trying," I responded. I thought I was shouting it, but in fact I was actually muttering it, because Thorin looked even more concerned.

The ram finally halted at Erebor very abruptly, and it woke me up a tiny bit. Thorin jumped off the ram, and took me inside.

"Oin!"

Kili was nearby, and he ran over when he saw me, "Auntie?!" He exclaimed. Thorin looked at him defensively, "Stay back, Kili."

I now felt very heavy, everything was hazy, until I heard Oin's voice.

"Great Mahal's beard! What's happened to her?!"

I finally blacked out.


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up with Thorin by my side, holding my hand, looking very distraught. But when I twitched my fingers, he brightened up, and kissed my forehead.

"Morgan, I'm so sorry."

I looked at him, puzzled, "Why are you sorry? You saved my life."

"Oin said when I pulled the arrow out, that I cracked two of your ribs."

"Oh...um...how long have I been--"

"Two days," Thorin said, looking down, "I did not rest, I wanted to be here when you woke."

I smiled, "You are so sweet," I told him, bringing his hand closer to kiss it, "I missed you."

"I missed you more...you fought very well."

"Apparently not well enough..."

Thorin stroked my cheek, "That orc that shot you, he was the last one. I only killed him and the commander, you killed the rest while they were trying to attack me...I call that more than well enough," he whispered, before turning away to yawn.

"You must sleep, Thorin. You can sleep next to me, if you want."

"Oin said no."

"What are the possibilities that you will infect my wound? Especially with this bandage protecting it?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't, I promise."

"...alright," Thorin said, before coming around, and climbing into bed next to me. He took my hand again, and stroked it gently. I looked down at his hand, "I was scared..." I muttered. Thorin looked down at my hand, "I'm sure you were, you nearly bled to death, but you held on very well," he replied. I looked up at his eyes, "I know how upset you've been over Fili this past week...I don't want you to feel worse because of me."

"I have to, in a way...I feel as though this was my fault."

"It wasn't, Thorin. I was not paying attention, if I was, that orc would've been dead already before it could shoot me! You saved my life, think about that," I told him, trying to maneuver myself closer to him. Thorin put a hand on me, making me stop, "What are you doing?" I glanced down, "I wanted to kiss you," I mumbled. Thorin came closer, "I will come to you," he whispered, before kissing me. I kissed him back powerfully, and I felt Thorin's smile finally grow. There was suddenly a knock on the door, interrupting us. Thorin's smile vanished into a frown, after we broke off, "Can't catch a break, can't we?" He grumbled, getting out of bed, and opening the door.

"Kili, Fili, what do you want?"

I was shocked to hear Fili's name. Last time I had seen him, he was still recovering in his bedroom.

"Is Auntie awake?" Fili asked.

"Yes."

"Good, because Kili has something to say."

"What is this about, Fili?"

Kili was suddenly shoved inside by his older brother, and nearly hit the end of the bed. I looked up at Fili, and he smiled at me, I dearly missed his smile, "I'm glad to see you recovered," I told him. Fili gave me a thankful nod, before standing up his nervous brother straight, "Alright, Kili, tell Uncle and Auntie what really happened when I got shot," he ordered.

Thorin and I glanced at each other.

Kili walked over to the chair Thorin had used, and sat down. He rubbed his face, and sighed, "I lied."

Thorin barred his teeth, and snapped, "What?!"

Kili went pale with fear, giving a wary glance to his angered uncle, before clearing his throat, "There were no orcs. I shot Fili by accident...my arrow hit a tree, and ricocheted back. I ran away, so that nobody suspected it was me. I took the arrow that was in him that you left behind, I lied about the orcs around the mountain, and—“

Fili interrupted, “At first Kili was going to fess up...but—“

“But what?!” Thorin growled.

“We were scared...I didn’t want Kili to get in trouble, so I told him to run. But I realized it only made things worse. We knew you’d find out somehow so we had to use drastic measures.”

He then began to explain how Kili stole some unlabelled herbs from Oin’s room and disguised it in soup so that Fili would stay sicker for longer. However, they did not know the effects of the herbs would be so severe, and neither of them felt any better about telling either Thorin or I what had really happened. They were ashamed that they had let such an amateur accident occur, and they knew that Thorin would never let them venture out alone ever again. Thorin and I were livid to hear all this, but I was more hurt than upset. Thorin had so much anger he could barely fathom the words to even fire at his deceptive and cunning nephews. I was the first to scold them. I rose up from the bed as much as I could, ignoring the searing pain under my bandage.

“I took your word; both of your words! I can’t believe you would hide such lies from us, and endanger yourselves to keep your secrets! I even went against—“

“Morgan!”

I stopped, and Thorin sat me back down. His expression astonished me, it was much softer than it was seconds ago! I couldn’t understand what had suddenly swayed his thoughts. He soon stood up, and stood in front of both nephews, who looked up at him with both guilt and fear.

“Do you both understand why I get angry with you?”

Both brothers glanced at each other, then shook their heads in unison.

It took a moment for Thorin to say the words, he had never talked about his emotions to anyone other than myself...but I saw what he was trying to do. He sighed, and with begrudge he said, “I care for both of you; I love you as if you were my own children. You both are the very few family that I have left...and for something to happen to either of you...I would not be able to carry on. I am upset with you, but now you have learned from your mistakes...that is what matters to me. I do not want _either _of you to be afraid of me anymore.”__

__Fili and Kili were stunned, mesmerized by what their stoic uncle said. They must have never heard such emotional and weak words come from him before, and were now unable how to respond to them. Kili stepped forward, very close to Thorin, and pressed his forehead against his. This moment didn’t last long, because Kili let Fili go after him. When Fili’s forehead met Thorin’s, Fili began to speak quietly to him...but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. Seeing all this made me overjoyed, and a rush of relief went through me. Things were not just back to normal, but they were now better than before._ _


End file.
